von-Scharnhorst
16-10-2006, 03:43 PM
Five US citizens are living off benefits in Britain as they try to claim asylum.
The extraordinary situation was revealed by a whistleblower today who claims it shows just what a easy target the UK has become.
Rory Clarke, 34, says he believes only five per cent of asylum seekers are genuine. But those waiting for applications to be processed get immediate free healthcare, free accommodation and £35 a week in benefits.
And when applications are turned down - the five Americans will almost certainly be rejected - they can immediately ask for legal aid to fight their appeal.
Mr Clarke says he was so shocked by abuses of the system that he resigned from his job at the Government's National Asylum Support Service.
He said: "Britain is seen as such a soft touch that poor people from countries such as America are even coming here now.
"A couple of years ago I met two black guys from the States who were over here because they thought they could get a better standard of living. One was from Ohio and the other from Kansas.
"They claimed asylum because they said they were racially discriminated against at home. But they freely admitted they were here for the healthcare and accommodation. It is an absolute joke. They could have been there for up to five years before their application was processed."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=410653&in_page_id=1770
The extraordinary situation was revealed by a whistleblower today who claims it shows just what a easy target the UK has become.
Rory Clarke, 34, says he believes only five per cent of asylum seekers are genuine. But those waiting for applications to be processed get immediate free healthcare, free accommodation and £35 a week in benefits.
And when applications are turned down - the five Americans will almost certainly be rejected - they can immediately ask for legal aid to fight their appeal.
Mr Clarke says he was so shocked by abuses of the system that he resigned from his job at the Government's National Asylum Support Service.
He said: "Britain is seen as such a soft touch that poor people from countries such as America are even coming here now.
"A couple of years ago I met two black guys from the States who were over here because they thought they could get a better standard of living. One was from Ohio and the other from Kansas.
"They claimed asylum because they said they were racially discriminated against at home. But they freely admitted they were here for the healthcare and accommodation. It is an absolute joke. They could have been there for up to five years before their application was processed."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=410653&in_page_id=1770